Close the gap day sets focus on health equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Australians are being encouraged to join the movement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equality, and celebrate this year’s National Close the gap day, organised by Oxfam Australia, this week on Thursday 17 March.

The day is designed to create awareness, spark conversation and remind politicians about the inequality of health care that exists in Australia between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians, and of their commitments to ‘close the gap’ in life expectancy within a generation.

The Close the gap campaign is led by a coalition of more than 40 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous health and community organisations committed to achieving health equality by 2030.

Over 150,000 participants attended events across Australia for last year’s Closing the gap day, and Oxfam Australia is encouraging all Australians to get involved this year by considering hosting or attending an event at their workplace, school, sporting club or community group. So far 1,300 events have already been registered all over the country.

Close the cap campaign co-chairs Dr Jackie Huggins and Mick Gooda said that the response to this year’s Close the gap day has been tremendous. ‘Thousands of organisations will be involved, from small medical practices to large corporations. This includes 262 individual ambulance stations around New South Wales and Medibank Private stores Australia-wide,’ said Mr Gooda.

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‘This year is particularly significant as we mark 10 years as the nation’s largest public Campaign for health equality,’ said Dr Huggins.…

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